by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Jan 20/97) - The Rankin Inlet sheriff has quit rather than enforce eviction orders against four families.

Peter Kaput said he doesn't have it in him to kick people he has known all his life from their homes.

"My uncle doesn't even want me in his house because I have to kick his daughter out," said Kaput last Thursday.

Kaput was the lone sheriff in Rankin Inlet. It was his duty under the direction of the Justice Department in Yellowknife to force four Rankin Inlet families from their homes after they received court orders to leave. They had failed for the last year-and-a-half to pay rent.

The orders were supposed to be issued Nov. 8 of last year but nothing was done to carry out the enforcement until a few days before Christmas.

The evictions were then put on hold after local residents protested. Kaput waited to hear from his boss, Colin McCluskie, to find out what to do next.

That was two weeks ago. But last Monday the Rankin Inlet Housing Association said it was time to conclude matters with the four families, with no more delays.

Kaput was in contact with McCluskie last week.

"I told him (Colin McCluskie) that if he wanted to kick some people out of their homes he can fly in from Yellowknife and do it himself."

Which is just what might happen.

McCluskie, contacted Friday at his office in Yellowknife, said a new time-table for the evictions hasn't yet been worked out. It will depend on weather and work schedules, among other things, he said.

"We've got word from our lawyers to do something, but we're not sure when we're going to do it," McCluskie said.

In the absence of a local sheriff, a bailiff will be flown in from Yellowknife, he said.

During this whole ordeal, Kaput, a father of four small children and long-time resident of Rankin Inlet, said his children have been beaten up after school.

"I want my kids to be safe after school," Kaput said.

Besides from not getting the support from his family and friends, Kaput, who's also a bylaw officer for the hamlet, said he has been barred from using the hamlet's phone, fax or computers to do his sheriff's job.

Kaput said now he has to write down his reasons for resigning and submit them to the department.

After that he hopes to do some kind of mechanical work, which he did for 11 years, rather than further pursuing a career in law enforcement.

"I think I'm not the right person to do things like that."